Playing with Hope
by Carolyne Muer
Summary: [AU] A tale of fighters and survivors, dreams and innocence, light and darkness. Where complete power is a reality, hope is something to yearn for, and the knowledge that there can only be one winner in the end dictates their lives. SxE
1. Sakura

Playing with Hope  
Chapter One  
  
The alarm was probably what woke her up that morning, but with all the other noise around the place, she couldn't be sure. It was another bleak morning to get up to, and yet another day to watch slowly pass by. She was really not looking forward to any of this at all.  
  
In the corner of her room the television was on, the morning news recounting last nights worst and most eye catching stories. She rolled her eyes at the morbid beginning to her day, and finished pulling up her pants. The shower would have to come later; she was already on her way to being late.  
  
When she left her room and entered the small hallway, she could see the others in her flat were already in the kitchen with breakfast and she headed in that direction. She never learned how to properly cook, and it was always a blessing when one of the others was happy enough to make some breakfast.  
  
"-So then he just hits the breaks and the car starts spinning, and everyone's whooping at his daring and screaming-"  
  
"Weren't you scared?"  
  
"Hell no. It was awesome."  
  
"Hey Sakura, want some?" A mix of what seemed like a child's Halloween treats bag was in the bowl she was handed. Used to this type of food every now and then, she took it gratefully and with the big spoon placed a generous amount on her plate. The conversations around her continued with her ignoring what was said.  
  
"What's wrong? Did you get sick at that party yesterday?" she was asked by a drowsy looking Kyoto after a while of silence. About to shake her head she was interrupted by the teasing voice of Mei from besides her.  
  
"Come on, Kyoto. This is Sakura we're talking about. She never drinks."  
  
Sakura smiled softly, but continued to eat from her bowl. Mei got swatted in the head by Urara, who looked at Sakura inquiringly, and avoided being swapped back.  
  
"You sure you okay? You look a little down."  
  
Shaking her head, she put the empty plate down. "No, I'm fine. I should get going. I have Teraku-sensei first, and I'm already late."  
  
The sounds of their mingled voices saying goodbye was still heard once Sakura left the apartment and she couldn't help but smile. The flat they shared was only a few block away from the university buildings, and she thanked herself for wanting to move so close to the place yet again. She was perpetually running late, and although usually she tried to avoid it, today she was in a rather calm, nonchalant, mood.  
  
She could tell it would be a cold winter, her hands were already becoming numb, and she berated herself for not taking her gloves with her as she had always done. As she walked to her next class, well aware she was bordering on fifteen minutes late, Sakura couldn't help but think she was about to be thrown into the 'real world'.  
  
This was her second to last semester and she would be graduating come spring. She was actually supposed to graduate last spring, but after failing a very important class, she was forced to take it (and two more) now and graduate later. She didn't mind. It gave her more time to stay at the university flats and look for a better one, and delayed her pending job. Still, she would be forced to start the New Year with a new job, a new flat, basically a new life. Delving her hands deeper into her pockets, where she squeezed them into fists, she looked around from behind her bangs.  
  
Sakura was often told to keep her bangs behind her ears, as they covered her emerald green eyes and everyone seemed to dote on them. But the less attention she received, the happier she was. Not that by letting her bangs free by any means made her receive any less attention, but it gave her a small sense of detachment.  
  
The professor looked briefly at her when she entered the room, occupied already with writing something on the board, and she silently went to take a seat. Once the class was over, the professor, Teraku-sensei, signalled her to come to his desk. She walked normally, if a bit meekly and waited for the lecture that was sure to come. She was quite surprised, however, and did not miss to show it when he smiled.  
  
"Ms. Kinomoto, I know you took this class last year and passed, and you already have a passing grade again, but try not to set such a bad example to the others who are trying to learn something they don't already know. If doesn't help to be interrupted by someone who didn't have the decency or the respect to them to be early, understand?"  
  
She was about to apologize and say something, when he lifted his hand and halted her, "Here are some reference books you can read. I believe you need help in the SA department. You still have the note I gave you for the tutor, don't you?" He finished writing and gave her a stern look. "Ordinarily I wouldn't give this. I don't have to, but I know your father and if you're anything like him you wouldn't like to fail again. Do try and read them."  
  
She looked at him blankly for a few seconds, as if not believing was had happened, then blurted out, if a bit clumsily, "Thank you, Teraku-sensei. And I'm planning on calling and meeting her tomorrow." He merely smiled as she left the room.  
  
She really hadn't meant to space out these days, but it seemed all she did. Maybe the looming days ahead were starting to affect her concentration. After all, it was not like she was starting that hard of a branch in her life. She was only going to have to pay her bills (electric, water, cable, telephone.), taxes, food, furniture, and rent from now on. Not to mention keep a steady and nice job and have a healthy social life at the same time. Definitely not scary at all. Why should she, Kinomoto Sakura, be afraid of becoming a responsible adult? No reason at all.  
  
As she walked out the building and into the sidewalk, she didn't notice the wet patch on the floor, and slipped.  
  
~~~  
  
She knew she was clumsy. Hell, most of her friends seemed to thrive in telling her that. But knowing she was clumsy and getting used to falling and hitting herself was something she would never get used to. And as graceful as some people told her she walked, she didn't feel an ounce of it as she fell, her papers stuck semi-wet on the floor.  
  
How completely embarrassing. It was broad daylight and she had just tripped in some small patch of water many others had surely avoided.  
  
"Need any help?"  
  
She looked up from trying to get her papers from the floor to see the face of a boy about her age. Not really a boy, since she was already twenty, but a young man, handsome and offering to help her. She blushed at the words, since he had obviously seen her fall, but nodded in gratitude.  
  
"I'm Uri Kuuoyi. You're in my Design IX class." He said handing her the rest of the papers. She couldn't quite place him, since she didn't know everyone in her Design IX class, but nodded politely and introduced herself. He helped her stand up and they stood awkwardly for a few seconds.  
  
"If you want we could go to a small coffee shop around the corner." She was about to decline the offer and he must've seen it in her face for he quickly continued, "Not a date, I promise. Just to talk a bit, you seem very nice. And only if you're interested. My treat."  
  
It was true, she could refuse, but coffee sounded so appealing since she didn't have any that morning and she didn't have to pay for it.  
  
"And you know, coffee is hot." He added when he saw she was thinking too much about it. "Which is excellent since your bum practically freezes itself after you fall on that wet patch. Then your whole body starts to chill, so it's a good offer."  
  
She couldn't help but smile at that, and agreed to go. It was only coffee after all.  
  
"How would you know about the freezing thing anyway?" she asked curiously.  
  
Smiling sheepishly, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, and confessed. "I think it wasn't even two minutes before you fell that the same thing happened to me."  
  
She tried not to laugh at his expense, since it wasn't very polite, but he looked so composed and overall very smooth, that she couldn't help but laugh at the idea of him falling there as well.  
  
"Hey." He berated good-naturedly. "I didn't laugh when you fell."  
  
"I'm sorry; it's just that I can't imagine you falling there." She looked around and saw they were already inside the coffee shop, and took a seat near the centre.  
  
"That's all right. At least I know you enjoy seeing me suffer so early in the friendship."  
  
At first she was shocked at how quickly he assumed they were friends, but left it at something he said for the moment.  
  
"Not really seeing you suffer, because I didn't."  
  
"Imagine if you had!" he wailed dramatically.  
  
"Stop it." She said swatting him playfully. She didn't have time to think about what she had done because a very loud looking guy came and stopped in their table.  
  
She didn't know why those words came to her mind when she saw him, but it seemed everything about him, from his messy brown hair, to his pale green boots, screamed at you. He wasn't bad looking, and he didn't have that fake punk look some acquired for style, he just seemed extremely outspoken. True to what she thought, the first words out of his mouth were, "Uri, what the hell do you think you're doing with this fine lady on your table?"  
  
Sakura blushed at the straight forward compliment, but waited to see what Uri would reply. Uri simply laughed and winked at her.  
  
"She is quite attractive, isn't she?"  
  
That statement only made her blush harder and the playfulness that had surrounded them earlier disappeared to be replaced by one she couldn't decipher, but did not feel very comfortable in. Too much attention did that to her.  
  
"Sorry." The loud sounding boy - who had introduced himself as Takenoshi Iori - said to her once he had taken a seat in the table. He didn't sound sorry at all, but a mixture between amusement and curiosity. "I'm normally even more straight-forward, but I think that even toning it down a bit scared you. I'm not crazy. I promise."  
  
He seemed nice enough, and soon she saw that he really was as nice as he seemed. And that he was truthful about what he had said earlier, he was completely straight forward about everything. She wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.  
  
They talked about many things, mostly about what they were planning on doing that weekend and during the winter holidays. Soon their coffee was gone, and they had to part ways. Sakura said goodbye to them, and wished them luck, and left the place heading back to the flat with a faint smile on her face.  
  
~~~  
  
Only Mei was in the apartment when she returned, the others were down at the university having classes, and Sakura was thankful for that. Mei normally preferred to watch the telly undisturbed, and only bothered when she wanted someone else to watch something with her. That, or when she wanted to go either shopping or partying. Neither of which was in her agenda at the moment, thankfully.  
  
Sakura only waved a hand in acknowledgement to the other girl and headed straight to her room. Once she was inside she picked up the sleeping yellow- orange cat from her bed and lay down placing him carefully over her stomach. He was very cuddly and drowsy and proceeded to purr when she started petting him.  
  
She really didn't like being hit on. It made her feel uncomfortable most of the time. It was also probably why she'd never had many dates. Still, Kuuoyi seemed like a nice person and a great addition to her wonderful friends. She was sure Urara would love to meet him. Now that she thought about it Mei would probably explode once she met Iori. She shook her head to get rid of those thoughts for the moment and focused on getting the folder with her Structural Analysis notes from her side desk without disturbing the sleeping Kero.  
  
She finally managed, and opened it carefully. Clipped to the first page was a small note with the mobile number, name and address of her new tutor. She had failed the class the year before and wasn't doing much better. She was passing but barely. Math had never been her best subject, but she really wanted to be an architect. Unfortunately it involved quite a bit of mathematics, and her last tutor didn't have the patience.  
  
She closed the folder and placed it before her before looking at the name. Daidouji Tomoyo. Hm, sounds nice enough. She would be meeting her tomorrow, and she hoped she could help her up her grade and learn something. Who knew, maybe she would make another friend. It seemed it was something she was incredibly good at. Closing a fist around the note, she placed her other hand over Kero and closed her eyes. Maybe she could sleep a bit before Kyoto arrived with the food, if she wasn't mistaken it was pasta today. 


	2. Eriol

Playing with Hope  
Chapter Two  
  
Eriol surveyed calmly from behind his glasses the different reactions around the table. Not having the ability to hide their emotions well as he did, it was easy to see what they all thought of his decision. The only one who didn't show a negative or an outraged response was the oldest member of the board, and he had a suspicion it was because the old man had actually paid attention to everything he had said in the last few meetings.  
  
He was particularly amused at the expression provided by one of his advisors. He hadn't been aware people could actually turn that shade of green. Since he had already explained the reasons behind this new line of action, he simply offered a curt nod and one of his usual smiles before leaving the meeting room. None bothered to follow him, and he was sure by the loud murmurs he heard when he left that they were discussing him in very unflattering terms. The thought made his smile widen.  
  
Ever since his father passed away and he had inherited his spot in the company, as Eriol knew he would, he had become very interested in everything about the corporation. His father had trained him well, and though not thinking about joining the business for a few years, the untimely death of his father sped things up a bit. Specializing in buying, selling, building and destroying companies, Moon Corp. was one of the most powerful companies of the time. And Eriol liked being in control. Not that he had to be mean spirited like his father; Eriol had charisma and used it to his advantage.  
  
"Hiiragizawa-san, what would you like me to tell your callers today?"  
  
Eriol turned to his secretary; a middle-aged sweetheart named Naoko, and raised his brows.  
  
"I'm sure you can come up with a suitable excuse." She smiled and nodded.  
  
"Very well then, good day, sir."  
  
"Good day, Naoko."  
  
The lift was already in his floor so he didn't have to wait, and when the doors were beginning to close he could hear the men's voice approach. It seemed they had found their way out of the room. Once the doors closed, he pressed the L button at the bottom and inserted his key in the lock. That assured him that the lift wouldn't stop, even if called, until it reached the lobby, and already sure that his chauffer was there he closed his eyes and waited for the tell-tale ding that signified he had arrived.  
  
It was known that in the ever growing world of business, when you owned a large corporation, it was equal to ruling a kingdom. You controlled not only your part, but the people and everything that was done, to ensure that the business prospered. If there was something or someone that was preventing this from happening, that was exterminated, after all it was in the company's best interest. If you owned a large enough company, and therefore ruled a large kingdom, you were also in possession of smaller companies you bought along the way. Those companies were still largely controlled by their first owners, but since you were in the majority, your vote was the one that counted. It was simple business and all you had to know how to do was perfect your poker face, and learn how to conquer. After all, it was the game of the masters, and only those survived.  
  
Companies were torn apart if their rulers were not strong enough, and if they couldn't control everything they were supposed to the way they were supposed to, it was easy for someone with more experience in the game to conquer you. It was the risk of the business world, and it was how it was played. It might've seemed like a boring way to spend the rest of your life, at the top of a company, but that was where the rulers of the modern world were located. In the ancient world they were the Kings and Queens of lands, now the throne was overtaken by this new power.  
  
Once the lift reached the ground floor and the doors opened, Eriol stepped out and sighed. Walking purposely towards the main entrance he readied himself for the next meeting of the day.  
  
~~~~  
  
When Eriol was seven years old his father thought he was old enough to visit one of the building demolitions. He had been excited that his father finally trusted him enough to take him and was involving him in the company he heard all day about. He knew and was aware that his father was a very busy man and just being included pleased him immensely.  
  
The edifice was old and faded, but what really struck his mind was the sheer greatness of it. It was taller than he could imagine and just knowing that it would be torn down in a matter of seconds filled him with an excited apprehension he almost couldn't contain. His father had looked at him seriously and, his gaze never wavering from Eriol's face told him the words he would remember years later when he would stare at his father's pale face in the hospital morgue.  
  
"There are few people in the world with enough power to destroy a lifetime of achievements. You, my boy, are going to be most powerful of them all. Never doubt that."  
  
To the small boy, the words were further imprinted in his mind when his father pressed the button and the building came down. He tried not to wince, but it was useless and he flinched as if covering from the debris; even though it would never reach them. His father remained perfectly still and when he saw that he frowned to himself. It signified an instant of change for him, and though he didn't understand what his father had meant at the time, he knew it was an important moment. A moment he would never forget.  
  
His father had then turned around and answered his ringing phone, leaving the small boy to watch the cloud of grey smoke block the once clear sky, his nostrils filled with the horrible smell of powder, asphalt and heat.  
  
That was the day he learned to both, fear and respect his father, and the day he learned that even the tallest of giants could be defeated by the touch of a button. His eyes harder than before, Eriol turned around and without looking back at the empty lot or his father, entered the company car and waited. If you would've looked carefully [and quickly] enough, you would've seen the tears that had fallen from his eyes before he hastily scrubbed them away.  
  
~~~~  
  
"As you can see in the first chart-" the man said pointing with a small laser beam at the mentioned chart, addressing his small audience, "our financial state has been steady for the past few months." The small man turned off the beam and clapped for the lights to be turned on. "And while that might be good news for other companies, here at Moon Corp. we cannot afford to be merely steady. We need an increase or we will suffer greatly."  
  
Eriol frowned; his perpetual smile erased completely from his face, and addressed the woman on his right. "Mitsuko, did you check the reports from the technical staff?"  
  
She nodded once and took out several blue folders from her briefcase placing them briskly on top of the table. Eriol picked them up and scanning them quickly placed them in front of him. He looked up to the now sitting man and, his voice firm, uttered what everyone was dreading.  
  
"We need to let some people go and hire new personnel."  
  
The room remained quiet, but their agreement was noticeable in their faces. Moon Corp. would not suffer now. They -/he/- would make sure of that.  
  
Only the people in the room held the stocks that were Moon Corp. and as the only stock holders in them lay the fortune of the corporation. Distant relatives, only those who were blood descendants of the original founding brothers were permitted to hold stock. Not allowed to sell them, their fortune would be worth nothing if they couldn't maintain the company alive.  
  
As majority stock holder most of the burden (and wealth) rested on Eriol's shoulders, and with his game face on he looked at the other three people in the room. Jiang Mitsuko, the alert attorney, daughter of the only daughter of Hiiragizawa Jiro. Kento Isamu, the intelligent physics professor, son of the daughter of Hiiragizawa Katsuo. Izumi Emi, the beautiful surgeon, daughter of the son of Hiiragizawa Saburo. Then there was he, the only remaining person with the Hiiragizawa name, after Emi married and took her husband's name. The only son of Taro who was the firstborn of Ken'ichi.  
  
Together they would have to keep Moon Corp. alive, by any means possible. Though not in the brink of bankruptcy, they were not willing to even toe the line.  
  
"The rule of six?" Emi's soft voice queried from her comfortable spot on Eriol's left.  
  
"The rule of six." Isamu affirmed. Eriol nodded and smiled back at Mitsuko when she smiled at him. The rule of six was a slow start, but it was the most influential one, since it involved some of the most important employees who were not up to par in their departments. They would each choose six people to dismiss and six to recruit. Already, Eriol already had three of each in mind. He would have to call his secretary to book him a flight to Hong Kong, the sooner the better. 


	3. Safety

Playing with Hope  
Chapter Three  
  
Jago had been part of the security department of Moon Corp. long enough to know how everything in the company worked. He was one of the tops in his area and his expertise from other high profile jobs before this one had only furthered to help the company prosper. His input was always valued as he was rarely wrong when dealing with everything security related and he prided himself on having such a wonderful job.  
  
When he was smaller he had dreamt of being a policeman, but he wouldn't trade his job for all the yen in the world. He knew everyone who worked in the whole corporation, no matter the country, no matter how small the place. His uncanny ability to remember every face and name had come in handy on numerous occasions, and if you needed to know where somebody was, Jago was the safest bet.  
  
He was also one of the few people, outside of those with the Hiiragizawa name or high enough position, to have clearance to most anywhere in the company. So when the rumors started that the Moon Four, as the media called the four owners, were planning on going through with the rule of six, he was not perturbed at all. They would never think of replacing him. He was much too valuable and knew too much.  
  
Secure in his thoughts that nothing would come to him, Jago looked around at the working employees and smirked. Twenty four of these corporate bastards' bosses were going to be shot out of here so fast they wouldn't know what hit them. As he walked back to his office -- which was smaller than he'd liked it be -- he thought about how long it would be before one of the Moon Four would search him to ask him to take care of the most persistent ex-employees. Some people just didn't know how to handle the bitter truth.  
  
"Jago, boss-sir, would you look at these files for me?" came the rather child-like voice of one of his best security guards. Had be been slightly more chauvinistic than he was, or had he not know that this guard was one, if not /the/ best after himself, he wouldn't have allowed her to be so dismissive of his name. As it was, he was rather fond of the woman, and had taken to her almost as the daughter he would never have.  
  
He grunted as he took the files, and continued walking towards his chair. She took a seat in front of him and waited expectantly until he finished glancing at the files. She took great delight in watching his eyes widen at the information contained within, and when he looked up at her, her face had taken the wild grin she had been known to carry when she was especially happy or giddy.  
  
"How did you find this?" he demanded gruffly. He didn't look as happy as she was with the information but she knew it had more to do with his personality rather than the fact that the files were bad news. Because bad news was the last thing the files brought.  
  
She shrugged nonchalantly, and for a second it was all he could do not to strangle her. How could she be so nonchalant over something as important as this!  
  
"I was bored this morning and started checking the old records and surveillance tapes. See, good things do come to those who are nosy." She answered him, looking at her extremely short nails. This job didn't leave the time for a good manicure.  
  
Jago looked back down to the files and with more emotion than Ura had heard him express in a while said the same thing she was thinking.  
  
"We are going up with this."  
  
Ura rolled her eyes and laughed. "I knew I could trust this with you. Now do listen to me." She said her voice hardening a bit. "If you leave me out of this I'm going to make you regret it, hear me chief? I didn't have to include you in this at all. It was all out of the goodness of my heart."  
  
When she started speaking Jago had looked up at her, and once her little speech was finished his faced looked a bit shocked at her words. He quickly regained his arrogant expression and smirked.  
  
"Ura, you should know better." A silent understanding passed between them and she nodded satisfied.  
  
"This couldn't have come at a better time, boss-sir." She said chirpily, her earlier tone dismissed for the moment. "I mean, just when people are about to be fired we come out with this. The Moon Four are going to love us!"  
  
Jago remained silent but nodded. At his nod she took the opportunity to lean forward and take the precious files from his hands.  
  
"I need to take these back, sir, if you will. I know you're my mentor and everything, but I'll feel safer with them. You know me." She smiled and stood up quickly, her ponytail bouncing from side to side.  
  
Jago laughed at her antiques, but let her get away with it. "Meet me for lunch, we have to discuss when the best time to bring this up is."  
  
"One step ahead of you, man-sir. One step ahead of you." She winked at him and threw a small folded piece of yellow paper. Once she did she turned towards the door and left, the files safely on her arms.  
  
Jago opened the paper looking at the door and after he looked and read it he rolled his eyes. There were few people he trusted, experience had made him more paranoid than he thought possible. But this young woman was quite possible the one he trusted the most. It went beyond almost everything he believed in, women were unpredictable, but he truly believed he could handle this one.  
  
He crumpled up the paper and throwing it in the garbage can, leaned back into the chair. Let's eat at the cafeteria today, indeed. The digital clock in his desk changed digits and beeped announcing the change of hour. It was ten in the morning and he felt the day was off to a very good start indeed.  
  
~~~~  
  
More than twenty minutes had passed since the appointed time to meet, and Sakura was starting to think that maybe she was being stood up. The university library was quiet, but since it was still morning and most of the people in this side of the campus took the night classes, it was understandable. She had tried calling Tomoyo to her mobile a few minutes before the due time, but she hadn't answered.  
  
The meeting that was previously scheduled for 2pm that very same day had been changed unexpectedly by her prospect tutor who had said she had something she had to do at that time. So the meeting was changed to the morning to avoid having to wait another day. Something that Sakura thought was quite silly if one was not planning to show up at said appointment anyway.  
  
She watched the few other students studying and sighed. The books around her were opened to several different subjects, all of which she had some sort of difficulty. Still, she hadn't as much as glanced at them, opting instead to draw something in her journal. It was something she did when she was bored and this time it was the name of the university with a variety of colors - the words /Tokyo University/ blinking up at her innocently.  
  
She heard the library doors open and close a bit too loudly, and then the fast footsteps of someone who was most certainly in a hurry. The noise made her look up and it surprised her to the scared face of her always-happy roommate Mei. Once Mei spotted the green-eyed girl, she headed towards her trying to be a bit more quiet as to not disturb the others.  
  
"Sakura!" she whispered almost breathlessly. "Come on! Get. Up!" she signaled quickly grabbing the other girl's hands and tugging her up. Sakura stood up a little unstably and looked at the breathless girl with complete bewilderment.  
  
"What's happening?" was the first thing she asked. It was unnerving to see her friend in such distress and she wasn't quite sure what to think.  
  
"I-" She started then shook her head, pulling her towards the exit. "Y-you have to come."  
  
About to tell her to wait, her things were still on the table, she closed her mouth upon seeing the look in her friend's eyes. This was serious.  
  
Once outside, Mei led her away from the library into a more secluded area and then biting her nails looked desperately at her friend.  
  
"What is it, Mei?" Sakura asked again, this time her voice trembling.  
  
"I think my sister's been killed."  
  
~~~~  
  
Flying was not a novelty for Eriol. Having spent most of his childhood moving from place to place with his father, he was used to spending time in short as well as long flights. Nonetheless, it was infinitely better to travel for pleasure then it was for business. This time the line blurred a little since he was sure he was going to enjoy this small trip. Since he was to personally ask for this next person to join his company.  
  
Though it was been a while since he had last seen him, if his informers keep him accurately up to date there was to be no problem at all. Sure, the boy was a tad too head strong but that was exactly what he needed in this. Someone who knew what he wanted.  
  
It was not to be a permanent job; the boy's mother had made sure of that. His first priority was the Clan, but she had agreed that this would be a wonderful experience for him and would serve to enhance his business skills. So it was decided, his mother would tell him an outline of what he was to do, and he would only go there to answer deeper questions and because he was family. Besides, it would do him good to see family.  
  
The ride was smooth, the turbulence almost nonexistent, and he entertained himself reading the latest cover of the most famous teenage magazine in China at the moment. Not his preferred reading, he liked to know all different point of views, and this particular issue held an interview with said candidate for the job; the future Li Clan Leader - Li Syaoran.  
  
It was filled with silly questions, things only fan girls were really interested in, but as he looked at the several pictures of the never smiling youth he couldn't help but smile. If his memory didn't fail him, and he was almost positive it wouldn't, he knew this was going to be as pleasurable as he anticipated.  
  
The voice of the pilot came from up in the cabin announcing that they would be arriving within the next ten to fifteen minutes, and his smile widened. Closing the magazine he turned to look out the small window and out to the vast country below. He felt as if he could almost reach out an arm and grab at the clouds outside. It was almost the same feeling he felt when he pursued a great business deal, except the clouds didn't fade away when he closed his hands around them. At least not unless he wanted them to.  
  
~~~  
  
"You. w-what?" Sakura blurted almost immediately.  
  
Mei sniffed and nodded.  
  
"I think she's dead. I mean..." she rephrased, "I'm sure I know Eva's dead. I just /know/ it. Oh, Sakura, what am I going to do? I told her not to get involved with those people."  
  
Sakura stared at her friend, not quite comprehending the words that were coming out of her mouth, yet listening to her anyway. The other girl stopped to take a breath and then looked at the auburn haired girl with the same desperation as before.  
  
"This is, Mei, are you sure?" She was stumped. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do? She had no idea what to do in a situation like this and by the way Mei was looking at her it was clear the other girl was expecting her to solve her dilemma. "Does anyone else know?"  
  
"I think so." she choked wringing her hands nervously. Her eyes darted everywhere and nowhere, almost as if she were expecting someone to come out and take her away.  
  
Sakura had met the sister in question. It had been about a year ago and she had stopped by Mei's house to visit and she was there. Something that was unusual, since she worked for a big deal pharmaceutical in the western part of the world, and rarely had a chance to visit her family. Mei's mother and Mei's sister, the same Eva they were talking about now, were discussing the absence of Eva's twin sister. Her twin was also part of a big corporation, but unlike the younger by a few minutes, she had stayed on part world.  
  
"Okay." Sakura muttered, a bit disoriented. As she looked at her friend she couldn't help but feel that she was not doing a very good job at this. So she went with her instinct and hugged her; the other girl began to cry. 


End file.
